Second phase of demolition prepares ground for nuclear manufacturing at Sheffield steel plant
Phase two of a demolition project has started at Sheffield Forgemasters to make way for the UK’s largest open-die forging line.
Unused buildings on the site, north of Brightside Lane, are being removed as the second phase of work gets under way to create space for a new 13,000-tonne Heavy Forge and its 12,700 sq m housing.
Victorian-era Forge and Foundry buildings will make way for the new facility, creating one of the most efficient open-die forging operations in Europe and the largest in the UK.
The demolition will eventually expose the whole footprint of the new facility, which will dominate the skyline adjacent to the Meadowhall train line.
Much of the structure earmarked for demolition has been out of use for years, and a secure partitioning wall is in place to fully isolate working areas of the plant from the building site.
Remediation works have included removing internal steel structures, stabilising the ground, pile-driving and removal of any contaminants.
Phase two of the demolition will remove all remaining above-ground structures at the excavation site before more than 25,000m3 of spoil is excavated for foundations to support the press, with 4,500m3 of existing concrete to be crushed.
The project is governed by exacting environmental standards, with all spoil from the site graded and recycled as far as is possible. The multi-million GBP project is estimated to see completion of the foundations in Q1 2025. The new facility will service defence and commercial work in sectors such as civil nuclear power.
Streets Chartered Accountants covers crypto tax reporting, the full expensing tax break, and more in new news roundup
Streets Chartered Accountants covers crypto tax reporting, the full expensing tax break, the importance of recognising colleagues during the festive season, and more in its latest monthly news roundup.
It is all change for cryptocurrency tax reporting, but help is on handOn the 29th of November His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs, HMRC, launched a new campaign to pursue unpaid tax from crypto investors. The campaign seeks to encourage individuals to come forward and disclose any unpaid tax on crypto assets including exchange tokens, NFTs and utility tokens. In part, the approach highlights their concern that many crypto assets owners are seemingly unaware of the responsibility and requirement to disclose and report taxable gains.
Staff are not just for ChristmasIn the run up to Christmas many business directors, owners and managers will hopefully have or be looking at potentially sharing in the festive spirit through making gifts to their staff and/or even having a Christmas party. A bit like family and friends gifting, the nature or choice of a gift will mostly likely be based on what might have been given in the past, even the same gift each year along with affordability of the same. To a great extent when it comes to businesses the decision as to what they give their staff may in part be pre-determined by the tax treatment of any gifts.
Read MoreMaking more than an entrance, with Stuart Burlton
This episode of The Streets Sessions features Stuart Burlton, MD of Make An Entrance, the UK’s largest manufacturer and retailer of coir matting and direct sales logo matting. Find out how this inspirational family business has changed from a sales and marketing operation to that of a leading manufacturer with plans for international reach. The episode also takes time out to learn more about Stuart’s role with the Federation of Small Businesses as a member of its scrutiny body as well as his passion for supporting the Federation.
Transformation at Leeds City Station reaches next milestone
The transformation of Leeds City Station’s main entrance is reaching its next milestone, with demolition works coming towards the end and construction due to begin in earnest in the New Year.
The Leeds City Station Sustainable Travel Gateway scheme is being delivered at the same time as essential maintenance work by Network Rail to reinforce the underground structure below New Station Street, which supports much of the station above it.
The previous cycle hub and rotunda steps outside the station have been demolished and a total of 13 iron beams – each weighing as much as 40 tonnes – are being removed to access a huge underground space known as the Mill Goit, a man-made channel off the River Aire which took the stream to power a nearby mill. When the station was originally built in 1869, New Station Street was built as a bridge over the Mill Goit.
Piling works are now beginning which will allow for the Mill Goit to become home to the station’s new cycle hub, and for wider construction to begin. This includes the two passenger lifts providing access between New Station Street and Bishopgate Street, and the pedestrian improvements which will create a much-improved and more people-friendly gateway to the city centre.
Delivering the Sustainable Travel Gateway scheme in tandem with the maintenance works will reduce longer-term disruption and provide value for money by reducing the need for further works at a later date.
The £46.1m Sustainable Travel Gateway scheme is being delivered by Leeds City Council on behalf of Network Rail as the landowner, and in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority. The scheme is funded and being delivered through the Combined Authority’s Transforming Cities Fund programme, which is aimed at making it easier for people to walk, cycle and use public transport.
This week colleagues from the Combined Authority, Leeds City Council and Network Rail were given a tour of the works by constructor partner Balfour Beatty.
Councillor Helen Hayden, Leeds City Council’s executive member for infrastructure and sustainable development, said: “It’s amazing to see the scale of work involved in delivering these schemes, which will create a safer and more people-friendly gateway between the station, the city centre and the wider south bank.
“We thank everyone for their patience as we work towards construction continuing into the new year, and completion in 2025.”
Paul Buchanan, Balfour Beatty’s Project Manager, said: “Today marks yet another milestone in the transformation of Leeds City Station, with demolition works nearing completion.
“We now look forward to starting main construction, working closely with Leeds City Council, Network Rail and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, to bring the new gateway to life and provide an accessible and vibrant new link between the station and the wider city centre.”
The Sustainable Travel Gateway scheme will create a much improved and more people-friendly environment that can accommodate growing rail passenger numbers and ensure people can enter and exit the station safely.
The scheme will see:
- New Station Street pedestrianised, including the section which meets Boar Lane, with outdoor seating, rest areas, and landscaping.
- The taxi rank located to Bishopgate Street with a large and well-lit shelter and room for six vehicles, allowing for kerb-side boarding to help people with wheelchairs or assistance dogs to board more easily.
- Two 21-passenger lifts from Bishopgate Street to the station entrance on New Station Street, providing step-free access between the two streets.
- A high-quality cycle hub with electric charging points and storage for all types of cycles.
- Environmental improvements to Neville Street and Dark Neville Street including enhanced lighting and road surfaces. Works on the east side of Neville Street have been completed, with works on the west side of Neville Street and Dark Neville Street currently on-site. Once completed, these will offer safer routes for pedestrians and cyclists.
- Installing high quality cycle infrastructure on Bishopgate Street and Neville Street.
New deal at historic Yorkshire mill
Maze Recruitment Group, a Yorkshire-based education recruitment specialist, has moved to the historic Sunny Banks Mills in Farsley, near Leeds.
Maze has taken space in the 1912 Mill at Sunny Bank Mills, where Yorkshire Television’s Emmerdale and Heartbeat were filmed.
Maze joins over 100 other companies which have moved to the renovated mill complex during the past 11 years.
Nicola Wilson, the Managing Director of Maze, explained the reasons behind the decision to relocate to Sunny Bank Mills.
“We set up our business in 2020 initially working from home but the plan was always to open our own office in the Leeds area. We’re now in the second phase of scaling our business and have been looking for suitable office space for a while.
“Our new offices in the 1912 Mill are perfect, and we now have the right space to expand. We love the amenities at Sunny Bank Mills – the gym, yoga rooms, eateries, pub and so on. It’s a little community all in one place. The grounds are lovely, the woodlands, local parks, the outdoor area and the fact Sunny Bank Mills is dog friendly was a bonus.
“The landlords William and John Gaunt are lovely and have been very welcoming and very transparent. Free parking is always a plus and value for money in comparison to the offices we were looking at in the city.”
Another partner joins Andrew Jackson Solicitors’ real estate and property team
Kirsty Barsby has joined Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP’s real estate and property team as a partner, strengthening the firm’s client services offering across the region and beyond.
With over 18 years’ experience across a broad range of property matters, Kirsty’s clients operate across several sectors including hotel and leisure, residential and commercial development, property investment and the healthcare sector.
Kirsty regularly advises on property sales and acquisitions including overage, option and promotion agreements and development transactions from site set up to disposal. She also advises clients on landlord and tenant transactions, secured lending and refinancing and assists regularly with corporate support work.
Geoff Phillips, partner, and head of the real estate and property team at Andrew Jackson, said: “We warmly welcome Kirsty to Andrew Jackson Solicitors. Our real estate and property team remains busy, and I know that Kirsty’s depth of expertise and proactive approach will ensure that we continue to provide the highest standards in service and value for our clients.”
Kirsty added: “I’m very happy to have joined the team at Andrew Jackson Solicitors. Their commitment to providing clients with an outstanding service mirrors my own and I’m looking forward to working with both new and long-standing clients.”
Road tanker manufacturing company fined £200,000 after gas asphyxiation
A tanker manufacturing company has been fined £200,000 after a worker collapsed from gas exposure before the same fate befell a colleague who went to check on him.
On 18 March 2020, a worker at Tasca Tankers in Wakefield entered a metal tank to carry out some welding work. A few minutes later, a second worker looked inside the tank to check on his colleague and found him slumped at the bottom.
After shouting for help the second worker went into the tank and also collapsed. Emergency services rescued both employees after entering the space with breathing apparatus.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to ensure safety of their employees while working in the tanks, classified as a confined space.
When inside the tank, the employees suffered asphyxiation resulting from inhalation of argon gas leaking from the welding torch. This resulted in a hypoxic brain injury that left the first worker in a coma for more than 12 days and on waking suffered a loss of memory, the inability to walk, talk and move his left arm. The worker has had to learn to walk and talk again. Both workers continue to suffer long lasting physical and psychological effects of this incident.
At Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 1 December, Tasca Tankers of Unit 5, Diamond Business Park, Thornes Moor Rd, Wakefield, West Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £7,060 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Louise Redgrove said: “Two employees very nearly died in an incident which was foreseeable.
“The company had previously received related enforcement action and yet still failed to identify work was taking place inside confined spaces. This incident could so easily have been avoided if the company had ensured robust controls, effective training and emergency procedures were in place and current.”
This prosecution was led by HSE enforcement lawyer Jonathan Bambro.
2024 Business Predictions: Lee Thatcher, head of cloud at CloudCoCo
It’s that time of year, when Business Link Magazine invites the region’s business leaders to offer up their predictions for the year ahead.
It has become something of a tradition, given that we’ve been doing this now for over 30 years.
Here we speak to Lee Thatcher, head of cloud at CloudCoCo.
In 2024, the cloud computing industry will continue to focus on security and modernisation. Many organisations have moved their infrastructure to hyperscale cloud providers but have yet to fully embrace Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) or Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) offerings. Addressing this educational gap and emphasising the value of multiple vendor offerings will be critical. These trends build upon the need for secure and modernised cloud environments, aligning with the changes observed over the past year.
The surge in AI adoption has so far had a limited impact on the cloud computing market. However, it is expected to have a more noticeable influence once the offerings from major hyperscale cloud providers become more widely available and commercialised. As these providers continue to invest in AI capabilities, businesses will increasingly leverage cloud platforms for AI-related workloads, driving the growth of cloud-based AI applications and services.
It’ll continue to be about AI for the foreseeable future. The widespread adoption of AI applications and services will continue to gain momentum, enhancing the capabilities of cloud platforms. While it may not see massive uptake until major hyperscale cloud providers fully commercialise their AI offerings, AI’s significance in the cloud computing landscape will continue to grow, driving innovation and transformation across various industries.
University of Sheffield spin-out company raises £2.75m seed investment to pioneer novel therapies for genetic neurological diseases
A new spin-out company from the University of Sheffield is set to pioneer novel therapies for rare genetic neurological diseases.
BlackfinBio has raised £2.75 million seed investment to advance revolutionary treatments for Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP). The company will manage the development of gene therapy for the HSP sub-type 47 (SP47) and raise funds for clinical trials.
SPG47 is a slowly-progressing rare disease that causes malformation of the brain. It is caused by a specific mutation in the SPG47 gene that creates a deficiency of the AP4B1 protein which normally transports other molecules around inside the cells of the nervous system. Symptoms such as muscle weakness, developmental delays, impaired speech and progressive motor skills often show up in early childhood. There is currently no cure and no effective treatment for this debilitating disease.
BlackfinBio is built on research from gene therapy expert Professor Mimoun Azzouz, Chair of Translational Neuroscience in the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield.
The company was conceived when initial research performed by Professor Azzouz, funded by US charity Cure AP-4, provided proof-of-concept for the potential to effectively restore the AP4B1 gene through gene therapy. Based on these results, further funding from the LifeArc Philanthropic Fund was awarded to Professor Azzouz to validate the therapy in pre-clinical models and produce the gene therapy batches under clinical grade manufacturing required to move on to clinical trials in the near future.
This pioneering research showed that through AP4B1 gene replacement therapy it is possible to put a correct copy of the faulty gene back into the patients to stop their nervous systems being damaged further. This treatment will be carried out through injected gene therapy based on a harmless viral vector (carrier). One dose will be enough to treat a patient for a lifetime.
Led by experienced executive Peter Nolan, formerly of the multinational gene therapy company, Oxford Biomedica the company will use the initial funding to advance gene therapy treatments for the SPG47 disease before proceeding with in-human clinical trials.
Professor Mimoun Azzouz, Academic Founder of BlackfinBio, Professor and Chair of Translational Neuroscience at the University of Sheffield, Founder and Director of Gene Therapy Innovation and Manufacturing Centre (GTIMC), said: “The launch of BlackfinBio is a significant milestone which will enable the progress of the translational pipeline being developed by the company towards potential life-changing therapies for patients with HSP and other diseases.
“I am delighted by the overwhelming support by Cure AP-4 and LifeArc to progress the SPG47 gene therapy project through the clinical development pathway. BlackfinBio is a great addition to the favourable and dynamic gene therapy ecosystem at the University of Sheffield.”
Peter Nolan, Co-Founder, Chair & Interim CEO, said: “I am delighted to be able to work again with Professor Azzouz and help him translate his world-class research into successful gene therapy products for the benefit of patients who have genetic diseases where there are no current treatments. BlackfinBio will seek to build a pipeline of such gene therapies for a range of neurological conditions.”
Chris Edwards, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer and President of Cure AP-4, said: “Cure AP-4’s initial priority was to develop a therapeutic to halt the trajectory of this devastating disease. Launching a commercial venture in partnership with the University of Sheffield became the most expedient way to advance the promising treatment developed by Professor Azzouz and his team.
“We are delighted to be a part of this important milestone, and being positioned to advance this potentially life changing treatment into the clinic through BlackfinBio.”
Hull meat company gets £64,000 grant for shop refit that will mean more jobs
Levelling Up Funding has helped to support the creation of new jobs for a business in Hull’s city centre as part of a wider renovation project.
Sterling Meat Company Limited has been awarded a grant worth almost £64,000 to re-fit the ground floor of its current home at 39 Whitefriargate.
This includes fully relocating the entire business to the ground floor, providing an open plan working area with new customer front.
It is expected that the works will help to create three full-time equivalent jobs, whilst the unit’s Grade II heritage shop front will also receive a makeover to enhance the streetscape of Whitefriargate.
The grant award has come from monies allocated to Hull City Council through the government’s Levelling Up Fund.
The overall project cost is £182,791, meaning Sterling Meat Company Limited will be investing almost £120,000 of private capital into the city centre.
A council spokesperson said: “The Levelling Up grant scheme was introduced to create city centre jobs and help to restore historic streetscapes such as Whitefriargate.
“Sterling Meat Company is already a fixture on Whitefriargate and it is pleasing to hear that it has plans to regenerate its heritage shop front, whilst also bringing in further private investment and creating additional jobs.”
Stamford music agency acquires Rutland business from Showaddywaddy member
Stamford music agency ‘Bands For Hire‘ has acquired Rutland-based agency DG Music, bringing together the region’s two leading providers of live music.
Bands For Hire has been operating for 13 years under the directorship of Adam Mezzatesta and is now one of the leading music agencies in the UK, booking almost 3000 events every year.
DG Music, based in Oakham, was founded just under 20 years ago by Showaddywaddy member David Graham. The company’s roster includes popular artists such as The Houndogs, The Atlantics, Monroe, and harpist Eleanor Turner.
David says: “Things are very different for me post-Covid. I rejoined Showaddywaddy in August 2020 and have been on the road since then, meaning less time to spend in the office on my business. It’s been a wonderful experience, and I’m just so pleased that I’ve been able to hand over all of the business operations to such a successful company.”
With more than 750 acts based across the UK, Bands For Hire continues to grow year on year and is looking forward to working with the fantastic roster of artists on DG Music.
Director Adam says: “We’re excited to be taking on DG Music and want to reassure customers that all bookings and services will remain as before. It’s just us at the end of the phone instead.”
DG Music, based in Oakham, was founded just under 20 years ago by Showaddywaddy member David Graham. The company’s roster includes popular artists such as The Houndogs, The Atlantics, Monroe, and harpist Eleanor Turner.
David says: “Things are very different for me post-Covid. I rejoined Showaddywaddy in August 2020 and have been on the road since then, meaning less time to spend in the office on my business. It’s been a wonderful experience, and I’m just so pleased that I’ve been able to hand over all of the business operations to such a successful company.”
With more than 750 acts based across the UK, Bands For Hire continues to grow year on year and is looking forward to working with the fantastic roster of artists on DG Music.
Director Adam says: “We’re excited to be taking on DG Music and want to reassure customers that all bookings and services will remain as before. It’s just us at the end of the phone instead.”
